20 Bits of Advice for Any Young Chef

What Every Young Chef Should Know

Have you just decided to become a Cook? Are you starting culinary school?

There
are a lot of lists of what young cooks should know or how cooks should
act. I just wanted to put in my two cents. Below is a list of some
useful advice and warnings that will help make you realize that Kitchen
life ain't easy, but it can be worth it. I can't guarantee you will go
work at the best restaurants. Nevertheless, if you can heed my advice, I
am sure you will make good food!

1. Sharpen your knife skills!

Look, you are coming out of
Culinary school thinking you are the top of your knife game. Well, that
is until someone asks you to chop 3- 9th pans of shallots perfectly
without going over them. Suddenly, you realize you suck. Your shallots
look horrible, you have no idea how to sharpen your knife and you're in a
world of hurt. You think about buying a new knife, or maybe just
quitting. If you don't work for a place like that makes you feel
like you are bad at your job, quit. Not because it is stressful or belittling. I mean, work at a place where the skill level is so high, you feel like you don't belong. Go to a place that cares
about those little details, because that is how you will build your
foundation! Also, make sure you have a good knife!

2. Know Your Basics

I know, you want to open the next WD-50, or work there. Forget that, don't worry about it yet. First, learn how to cook a steak.

Hey!
no, don't put it in a f******* bag and then temperature controlled
bath. Look, that works great once you really get what you are doing.
However, until you get an understanding of heat, cooking, time, etc.
Don't cheat your way out of doing some basic things. It will make you a
better cook, it will help you get what the heck you are actually doing.

Learn how to cook a steak, blanch a vegetable, break down a salmon and bake a souffle.

3. Research the Greats!

The future is awesome and
there are some really cool modern restaurants. If you really want to get
a good understanding of how the food industry has really come so far so
fast. Look up the greats. Who taught Gordan Ramsey(Watch the video
below). Who taught Marco Pier White? Who? Who is Escoffier. The more you know the stronger your base. The more you can really think outside the box! How do you do it? Read some good cook books and bibliographies!

4. You're not going to be Sous Chef in 2 years (Don't be mediocre).

Passion
is awesome, ambition is great. Just make sure you are being realistic.
If you are offered Sous Chef two years into your tenure, check where you
are working. More than likely you are not that great, your restaurant
is just mediocre or maybe just a mom and pop shop. Focus on learning for
as long as possible. As soon as you are a Sous Chef, you have to be a
manager and your technical skills will stop growing. You will have a
limited repertoire to lean on for new menu ideas. Don't worry about
title, just spend time learning!

5. The sound of the ticket machine will scare you!

I
have worked so many nights and had so many dreams with the sound of this
machine running for hours. One of my chefs would let the ticket machine
run until it hit the bottom of the floor. Then he would stack them all
up and start calling out the orders. Yeah, and it kept running as he was
calling.
From 6 PM - 8 PM it won't stop!

6. You don't get days off

Are you coming from a
corporate environment, and thinking becoming a cook is a good idea?
Well, if you want to work in fine dining, forget days off. People want
to go out for Valentines day, Mother's Day, etc. Someone has to be awake
to make their omelets, their steaks, their molten chocolate cakes. Yup,
that is right, that is you!

7. Learn to clean, clean, clean

If you don't mind a
little bit of sexism, message me and ask me about the analogy my French
Chef once used about cooks and cleaning. All jokes aside, you are going
to spend at least 40% of your time cleaning and 10% of your time
complaining about how messy the other crew left your station. My
recommendation here, learn to be part of the solution not the problem!
Just fix it.

8. Vegetarians are people too! and making good Vegetarian dishes is a skill!

Let's be honest. It is really easy to make meat taste good..

Season,
sear, serve. Yes, some preparations take longer, like braised pork
belly or short rib. In the end, meat is easy. Now trying to please a
vegetarian, that is another story. They have had all the afterthought
dishes. They have had your butternut squash risotto, your seasonal
pasta, your beet salads and guess what, they are tired of it. Jeff Bezos
has a great line. He says, delight a customer. So do it. Delight a
vegetarian. Have you ever thought about smoking vegetables? It adds
another level of flavor that sometimes is better than meat. One of my
culinary instructors worked for a place called Carmelita and he made a
Smoked French Onion Soup! Brilliant and easy! So do it, wow a
vegetarian, think outside the Risotto?

9. No one will be around on your days off

Most fine
dining kitchens close Monday and Tuesday. Why, well because most people
want to eat out closer to the weekend. When everyone else is going to
work on Monday, you might still be in bed. Don't think that means you
get to lie around on your Monday. You put in a 55 hour last week. That
never allowed you to do chores, or errands. Get moving, you got a lot to
get done before you start the next week.

10. Everyone will suddenly expect you to cook on your days off

You
know, its funny. Most people don't come up to a carpenter and ask if he
will be over for their party and when he arrives, expect him to build
them a new bed frame. At least, not without paying him. Well, not so
with cooks. Everyone seems to get the idea that if you cook at work, you
can cook at their parties. Why, well, can't really explain the exact
reason for this paradox.

11. Learn to cook at least 3 pastries well

One day you are going
to walk into a kitchen where no one wants to do pastries. Yeah, it has
happened to me. That is awesome. First, make sure you are solid on a few
desserts, make sure you understand how to properly contrast textures,
flavors, etc. Show them you got the goods to do it! Then, you will
suddenly have a free window to create your own dishes. Maybe the Chef
doesn't even want to think about it. Awesome, that opens up a great
learning experience, take it!

12. Static rolls down hill

The kitchen is not for people with
soft under bellies. There are many reasons for the corny quote "If you
can't take the heat". Chefs and cooks love to give each other shit. It
is just part of the game. So don't be hurt and don't take things
personally.

13. Working for a 2 star Level Michelin Restaurant is Hell

Alright,
I have never worked at one. However, working at any restaurant that is
on the edge of winning an award is high pressure. It is not to say that
having the award doesn't come with its own stresses. There just seems to
be more anticipation when trying to win an award. Maybe take a moment
and watch Gorden Ramsey as he tried to win his third Michelin star.

14. Walk-ins are great

When it is 90 degrees outside,
or after a 5 hour rush sitting in front of 450 degree ovens. Walking
into a giant walk in feels amazing! You can have private conversations,
cool off, or simply stress out a little bit. However, make sure there
isn't a window in your door. I have once watched a Sous Chef walk in
and punch a box of produce after a stressful rush.

15. The Dishwasher is the most valuable player on your team

You
think I am lying. Just wait until he or she doesn't show up. See how
fun the rest of your night is when you're out of pans, spoons, and
plates. Yeah, things aren't so funny anymore. So respect your dishwasher
and realize they are working their butts off to make you look good.

16. Something is always going wrong

Something is
always going wrong in a kitchen. Produce hasn't come in on time, the
morning crew didn't finish all the prep, the nigh crew left a mess, and
there is a fire in the walk in. Alright, the last one never happened.
Nevertheless, my point of advice here is "Cooks come with problems,
Chefs bring solutions.

17. Don't worry about awards

I remember one day asking
a Chef who I had worked at with at several different restaurants when
he thought he would win an award. I was young and naive, but he gave me
amazing advice. He said "Ben, let's cook good food first, if we do that,
awards will come".

Some say that the James Beard Awards are slightly political anyway (e.g. Anthony Bourdain).

18. Travel

If you are lucky enough to be well off, or
have rich parents do what I couldn't do. Heck, even if you can't afford
it, figure it out. Go to Noma, El Cellar De Can Rocca, and Mugaritz.
Learn some real techniques. You can only learn so much from your local
restaurants. Get out there, be uncomfortable, work for free. It sucks,
but if you want to be the best, you have to be with the best.

19. Focus on where you work, not what you make..sort of

You
should find a balance between a good kitchen and a fair paycheck. Above
I said, work for free. If you are offered the opportunity to work at
the top 10 restaurants in the world for free, I would say do it. If you
have 2 years experience and could work at a Jame Beard Award winning
restaurant for free. I would have questions. You can only work for free
so long. Make sure you take a fair assessment of your skill set.

20. Learn from everybody and teach everybody

Never
stop learning, from anybody and everything. When I worked at the
Herbfarm. Chef Chris Weber could tell you about every bit of produce we
got in. Whether it be the local saffron we got in from the NW coast or
the ducks we got from the foie farm. He would know everything about the
people involved and the process they follow.

Looking
back, I still want to be a cook. I love cooking and so I get why people
want to do it. It is funny, being in the tech industry, I have come
across so many people ready to switch careers. Suddenly they want to
become chefs. It is funny to me because I have made the opposite switch.
So part of me wants to tell them No, but of course there is a part of
me that wants to encourage young chefs. Go and be the best chefs, cooks
and pastry chefs you can!

Chase it boss, I'm not the blogger but I'm Australian, I dropped out of school even before most tradespeople do, only completed Year 9. As long as you can commit to getting the job done it's all that matters, you should try get some work experience in restaurants nearby you so you can get a feel for it, and even ask the chefs how they got their start!